I’m going to take the optimistic approach to this post and assume none of the players on the Saudi Arabian soccer team are extremists. That should be obvious, hopefully.
But even if every single man on that team is the most kind-hearted man on Earth…they really, really f*cked this one up.
Before their World Cup qualifying match against Australia, the Saudi Arabian soccer team refused to line up for a moment of silence for the London terror victims because the gesture did not ‘keep up with their culture.’
According to a spokesman for Football Federation Australia, the Saudi Arabian national team told them that a minute of silence was ‘not in keeping with Saudi culture’ just moments before the match.
Pictures and video from the game show the Australian team lined up at the halfway mark, with the Saudi players ignoring the gesture as they disperse throughout the field.
Even on the bench, Saudi players refused to stand for the moment of silence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KDCSvVxR_E
Look, it doesn’t matter if it’s in your ‘culture’ or not, when someone is mourning the loss of life, you participate. You put your personal beliefs aside and you honor the fallen. Any decent human being would agree. It’s really quite simple.
I can guarantee that if I was at this game, and a fan in the stands refused to stand for the moment of silence, as soon as that moment was over, he would get his ass BEAT. By multiple people.
Thankfully, Australia came out on top, winning 3-2 and serving the Saudis some instant karma.
